New Herbal Approaches for the Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Diseases and Its Therapeutic Implications

Diabetic Kidney Diseases (DKD) is a very serious complication of diabetes. There is recent steep rise in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and DKD worldwide. Factors responsible for intraglomerular hypertension include activation of various vasoactive systems, polyol pathway, oxidative stress, inflammation and protein kinase C. Sodium-Dependent Glucose Co-Transporter (SGLT-2) inhibitors, DPP-IV (Dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors are being develop to manage the hyperglycemia and oxidative stress induced inflammatory cascade. Herbal drugs have gained increasing popularity; are complex mixtures of polyphenols and phytochemicals from any raw or processed part of a plant, including leaves. Herbal drugs in this modern era are preferred due to its lesser side effects. Various preparations are presently used for ameliorating the effect of DKD. Since, medicinal plants have been reported to affect various metabolic receptors, enzymes and signaling cascade. Above book chapter explains the involvement of different phytochemicals in biological pathway associated with the kidney damage.

Cosmeceuticals

This chapter will deal with delivering of a substance in a natural product, milk, via the skin – cosmeceuticals, from a variety of sources, camels, equine, ruminant and breast milk. The large quantities of bacteria on the normal skin, both friendly and “bad” bacteria provide skin and body health. The activity of cosmeceuticals of camel milk is due to the specific milk components, whose efficacy is retained in skin preparations which have not been destroyed in their preparation. By using camel milk which is pathogen-free the preparations are probiotic by definition and rapidly penetrate the outer skin layers to be active in the deeper layers. Massage therapy has been shown to improve flexibility and range of motion and strengthen the immune system. A list of the organic substances used for making the cosmeceuticals is provided.

Phytoparmaceuticals and Its Applications in Therapy

Medicinal plants have been used to treat illnesses since medicine began. Nowadays, 80% of the population in the planet uses drugs directly or indirectly derived from plants. In the past, natural products were used empirically; people experimented with them as helpful for their well-being and learned to treat ailments with specific plants. Henri Leclerc introduced the terminology of phytotherapy into medical science and this concept refers to study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Usually pharmacology isolates an active compound from a given plant, phytotherapy aims to reserve the complexity of constituents from a plant with moderately less processing. Phytopharmaceuticals (PP) are composed by one plant species or by complex mixtures of plants, presented in a natural or in a pharmaceutical form. The tendency is to use standardized plant extracts in the formulation, obtained by a patented extraction process. PP need to fulfill the same requirements as other medical products: safety, efficacy and consistent quality.

Resealed Erythrocytes as Drug Carriers and Its Therapeutic Applications

In this pharma innovative world, there are more than 30 drug delivery systems. Today's due to lacking the target specificity, the present scenario about drug delivery is emphasizing towards targeted drug delivery systems. Erythrocytes are the most common type of blood cells travel thousands of miles from wide to narrow pathways to deliver oxygen, drugs and nutrient during their lifetime. Red blood cells have strong and targeted potential carrier capabilities for varieties of drugs. Drug-loaded carrier erythrocytes or resealed erythrocytes are promising for various passive and active targeting. Resealed erythrocyte have advantage over several drug carrier models like biocompatibility, biodegradability without toxic products, inert intracellular environment, entrapping potential for a variety of chemicals, protection of the organism against toxic effects of the drug, able to circulate throughout the body, ideal zero-order drug-release kinetics, no undesired immune response against encapsulated drug etc. Resealed erythrocytes are rapidly taken up by macrophages of the Reticuloendothelial System (RES) of the liver, lung, and spleen of the body and hence drugs also. Resealed erythrocytes method of drugs delivery is secure and effective for drugs targeting specially for a longer period of time. This chapter will explain the different method of drug loading for resealed erythrocytes, their characterization, and applications in various therapies and associated health benefits.

Genomics and Proteomic Approach in the Treatment of Various Human Diseases

World wise genomic analysis is beginning to move from the laboratories of basic investigators to large-scale clinical trials. The potential of this technology is to improve diagnosis and tailored treatment of various human diseases. In addition, new data from the emerging proteomics platforms add another layer of molecular information to the study of human disease, as scientists attempt to catalogue a complete list of the proteins encoded by the genome and to establish a ‘bio-signature' profile of human health and disease. In the medical sciences identification of human genome sequence is a significant milestone for all the genes and their regulatory regions which provides the required framework for the genetic blueprint of humankind and that will make possible to recognize the molecular premise of disease. It is accepted that, together, these technologies genomic and proteomic will make easier to study all aspects of genes, gene products and signaling pathways so that the objective of personalised molecular medicine can be achieved.

Cancer Drug Delivery

Advancements in cancer drug delivery have led to the development of personalized oncology care through molecularly-driven targeted therapies. Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms which drive tumor progression and resistance is critical in managing new treatment strategies which have shifted from empiric to biomarker-directed therapy selection. Biomarker-directed therapies have improved clinical outcomes in multiple malignancies as monotherapy and in combination with other treatment modalities, however the changing scope of treatment options presents new opportunities and challenges for research. Furthermore, pharmacogenetics may provide a rationale method of personalizing anticancer drug dosing and supportive care management for oncology patients. This chapter reviews biomarker classifications and pharmacogenetics in anticancer therapy and supportive care. Examples of biomarker-directed therapies and clinical assays, in addition to future directions of molecular profiling in oncology therapy management are discussed.

Drug Delivery Strategies for Tolerogenic Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases in an Antigen-Specific Manner

Autoimmune diseases are the result of an improper immune response towards a self-antigen. Predominantly, autoimmune diseases have been treated using therapies that suppress systemic immune responses, which can result in significant side-effects like increased risk of infection and cancer. Alternatively, induction of immune tolerance through antigen-specific therapies can inhibit disease-associated responses without systemic suppression. Previously, immune tolerance has been accomplished by soluble antigen delivery through oral, nasal or sublingual routes. However, these therapies have shown minimal success in clinical settings. In an attempt to increase the efficacy of these therapies, recent work has utilized microparticulate delivery vehicles for the induction of immune tolerance. Microparticles are capable of increasing the solubility and circulation of cargo. In addition, their ability to passively target macrophages and dendritic cells increases their capacity for modulating the immune response. Recent work has shown microparticles fabricated with disease-associated antigens have limited disease progression and severity in animal models of Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Inhibition of disease progression has corresponded with an antigen-specific decrease in inflammatory responses. The emerging field of inducing tolerance through microparticle-based therapies can limit therapeutic side-effects and increase patient quality of life by providing for long-term suppression of autoimmune disorders without compromising systemic immune function.

Phytopharmaceutical Applications of Nutraceutical and Functional Foods

Nutraceuticals are actually “Bioactive herbal formulations” that contains selective combinations of specific bioactive constituents of plants and/or their parts that possess health-promotive, disease preventing and medicinal properties. The important phytochemical constituents commonly found in plants are polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, anthocyanidins, carotenoids, fibers, limonoids, glucosinolates, phytoestrogens, phytosterols and terpenoids. They play positive pharmacological activities in human health such as antioxidant activity, anti-microbial activity, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-spasmodic, chemo-preventive, hepato-protective, neuro-protective, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, anti-aging, diabetes, osteoporosis, repair DNA damage, heart diseases, diuretic, Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant, immuno-modulator, carminative, Thus the present chapter summarizes the phyto-pharmaceutical applications of nutraceuticals and functional foods and would lay emphasis on its importance for future generations for their well-being.

Bioinformatics and Its Therapeutic Applications

Bioinformatics has emerged as a major element in contemporary biomedical and pharmaceutical region. Bioinformatics deals with growth in biological data and has led to development of many databases. Bioinformatics deals with collection of data that is relevant clinically and these days separate term clinical information has come up. Data mimics are another field which is gaining importance. This chapter shall deal with introduction of bioinformatics and its applications in medicine and health care.

Personalized Approach in Nanomedicine

This chapter characterizes need for new patient-specific approaches in medicine. The authors here illustrate role of nanomedicine and particularly nanotheranostics, combining diagnostic and therapeutic functions, in the paradigm of personalized disease treatment. This chapter discusses current insights regarding the mechanisms of nano-bio interactions and the origin of adverse effects of nanoformulations. Furthermore, this chapter illustrates possible reasons behind an individual physiological response to a given nanomedicine, such as type and stage of disease, physiological conditions and lifestyle of a patient. Finally, a review of possible approaches for the initial choice of nanoformulation, suitable for a given patient is provided at the end of the chapter.